


Love Long Overdue

by Corehealer



Series: EmetWoL Event - Valentione's Week 2021 [2]
Category: Ascian - Fandom, Final Fantasy XIV, Shadowbringers - Fandom
Genre: Chocolate, Date Deciding, Devotion, F/M, Gift Giving, Love Triangles, Other, Polyamory, Teasing, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29440392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corehealer/pseuds/Corehealer
Summary: Entry Two in the EmetWoL Valentione's Week event. For the Valentione's Day prompt, I offer a continuation of the first piece, and a little bit of context for pieces to come for this event.Sarah and Hades discuss, following their love letters, things they can do to mark the occasion of their reunion in this moment. Sarah suggests Valentione’s Day traditions, but both of them find they are limited by the nature of Amaurot's current condition as a memory, and by their entrapment therein. Guildmaster Luciane comes looking for them and offers them both a suggestion for a special date activity.
Relationships: Azem/Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV), Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV)/Original Character(s), Emet-Selch/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: EmetWoL Event - Valentione's Week 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155329
Kudos: 3





	Love Long Overdue

“So, Valentione’s Day is coming up.”

“ _Valentione’s… what_?”

“A day honouring an Ishgardian saint, back in Eorzea. He was known as something of a patron of courtly love in the past, whose name is ‘justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to Halone’, to cite the works of Ishgardian history I’ve read. A lot of what he actually did is lost to time, but one thing that survived was how his name came to be related to love and used as an excuse to celebrate love in the centuries following his death.”

Some time had passed since Sarah and Emet-Selch had exchanged their letters, and relented to cuddling together in the stiff but not uncomfortable embrace of his office desk space. They were seated on his desk chair, which was larger than both of them, being suited for his Ancient life’s stature, with plenty of space to spread out as desired.

In this moment, they had begun to speak again in idle musing at the passage of time, and what they should do with themselves now that they were together again in his recreation of Amaurot.

“I was thinking… we could do something special for it this year. Even if it isn’t fancy, or anything more than time spent like this together.”

“ _I suppose you will be expecting gifts then, or some manner of dinner date? Perhaps chocolate confections in a heart shaped box_?”

“Wouldn’t go amiss, certainly, but I only really want your attention and presence, in honesty. No matter what we end up doing.”

He scoffed a bit at her but nodded, before turning towards his desk and thinking about the matter for some moments in silent contemplation.

“ _In the days of the city’s height, we had no end of attractions and distractions worthy of your attention. And I took Persephone to many of them, over the years, such as to the theater or out to dinner at the various restaurants our people maintained downtown, Star renowned for dishes inspired from the other cities and various culinary traditions…_ ”

He sighed and placed his cheek in his left hand as he leaned into it on his knee.

“ _Sadly, none of which are active or easily recreated in this memory of the city_.”

“We could try doing things suited to the holiday instead. Things Eorzeans do around this time of year.”

“ _Which would be…_?”

She adjusted herself in the seat a moment, thinking back on her previous experiences with Lady Lisette and Astrid.

“It’s a shame we aren’t in Ul’dah or Limsa, we could go browse the flower markets or see what the Bismarck has on special for the occasion. I remember last year they had heart shaped shrimp scampi in pasta. Delectable!”

She looked up towards him smiling.

“Or something I in particular enjoyed doing some years ago was helping Lady Lisette and her assistants with matchmaking. Luciane’s Guildmaster peer Ywain, in the Lancer’s Guild, was having trouble in the romance department, and we helped him find a match made in the heavens. It was endlessly amusing to see the look on his face when he saw that taxidermized dhalmel…

She chuckled to herself for a moment, before seeing the confused look on his face and returned to smiling reassuringly and shaking her head.

“I guess most of the things I remember associating with the holiday require other people, not unsurprisingly. Sending love letters, giving gifts, going on romantic dinner dates, matchmaking, lighting scented candles, heart decorations round the hearth… None of that is easy to recreate in a city built on creation and shades, is it?”

“ _Not when memory is all that sustains it now, no. And, in a sense, love. Given its purpose_.”

Her smile deepened a moment as his own rose again from his sunken cheeks, as they both thought on his original reason for making the phantom Amaurot. An endeavour built of love and hope.

“Hard to top that… with just a silly letter.”

“ _I quite enjoyed this letter of yours, even if it is a clumsy way to approach again what you were once capable of_.”

“Did it not live up to your high expectations, esteemed Emet-Selch?”

“ _It is a good first start. But clearly, you’ll need to get into the city recreation business if you truly wish to win me over, hero_.”

Their smiles deepened, and she leaned into his chest and a quick embrace from him, nuzzling into his robe.

“If we end up having to do all of this again, I suppose I will.”

Some time passed now in silence, as she lay cradled inside his embrace, relaxing as he pet her and caressed her hair in the manner they had both come to enjoy.

It was still mildly amusing to him that she had returned to him in the form of a miqo’te, a feline form that reminded him ever so slightly of the cats that had once roamed free in Amaurot’s streets and various places in nature. It somehow seemed appropriate for her to exist in this way, a fact he had jokingly reminded her of many times now, always to her embarrassed, feigned annoyance.

“ _An ancient being and his pet kitten… what an unusual pairing we must seem to any outside observer_.”

“Were there any here to see us…”

A knock at the office door, rousing them both a bit from their focus on one another and her from his lap.

“ _Come in_.”

The door opened and closed. Guildmaster Luciane walked towards them both, in her own set of Ascian robes, reminiscent of Sarah’s robes given their shared roles and histories. She took in a bit of the detail of Hades’ office before coming to stand before them both and the desk, smiling.

“The others sent me out to look for you two, and I had a good feeling I’d find Sarah here at least. And not just because of the bond.”

“As you can see, we are both quite alright. Just wondering about how to spend Valentione’s Day soon.”

“Oh really? I suppose given that we’re all trapped down here for a while that we should try to make the most of it in every sense, including spending the holidays together! Though… I suppose in this case you’d rather it were just the two of you, I take it?”

“I imagine there will be time for all of us to spend time together too, and for you and I, Luciane. I wouldn’t worry. I was just… we had a chat about some letters, and other things we remembered, and the subject came up. And I wanted to do something special for him just because.”

Luciane nodded.

“Of course. That makes perfect sense.”

“ _Any suggestions as to how we might spend said holiday would be welcome, especially if they do not prove to be overly time consuming and dull_.”

“Oh, were you expecting her to drag you off to some boring date activity?”

“ _Not necessarily, though the more I think about it, the more a mere dinner date or similar endeavour seems unsuited to this moment, of our reunion after so long. Less special than it demands_.”

“You’d be correct, she does deserve something more than the usual, doesn’t she…?” Luciane and Hades both smirked at one another and then at her, as she drew back a bit into his office chair, blushing.

“I wouldn’t QUITE say that… but something special. Leave that thought for another time…”

The two of them laughed as she recomposed herself, Luciane beginning to shrug and shake her head.

“I just wish I knew what special might be down here.”

The three of them now had hands to their chins, thinking about what the two of them could do. Luciane had a brief insight the moment she remembered something she’d seen them do in the ancient past, as Ariadne.

“Any chance you could conjure up a night sky?”

Hades narrowed his eyes at her, taking a moment to see where she was going with this.

“ _I don’t see why not... A welcome change of pace from permanent midday and the teal glare of the ocean_ …”

“So just grace her with her favourite thing then. Stargazing!”

He stared at Luciane for a moment, a bit baffled, or at least pretended to be. Sarah’s face lit up a bit, as she thought about how the city’s memory would look under a curtain of night.

“ _It couldn’t be that simple… could it_?”

“Well, perhaps you could come up with some way to make it special. You can be quite creative when you have a mind to be. I do remember that from the past.”

Luciane and Hades exchanged brief, knowing glances and another set of smiles. He was glad she was around now to give him needed context like this, and help even him remember some of the details he had neglected to recall, or give their due in his mind.

A few more moments of thought passed.

“ _Hmm… I have just the idea even now, in fact, but this I shall keep to myself for the nonce. A surprise I will plot out and seek to make perfect when the time comes for our ‘date’ then. And a date this will be. Just the two of us_.”

Sarah turned and smiled up at him, her eyelids dropping a bit with fondness. Whatever he chose to do, she was sure it would be special. Just like everything he did.

“Just the two of us.”

An exchange of nods. Luciane smiled again and tapped her fingers across the desk briefly.

“I’m happy to see this little quandary seems more situated now. And I’m sure you can make it work Hades; if anyone can, it will be you.”

“ _Your faith in me is flattering, Ariadne. I will try and not disappoint either of you with what I have in mind now_.”

Luciane nodded and turned to Sarah.

“Would you prefer I left you both alone for a while longer then, Sarah?”

“If there’s no rush, yes. I wanted to talk to him for a little longer. We’ll be back along to the apartments when we’re done. Promise.”

“Take all the time you need, love. I’ll be stopping by your office for a moment myself anyways, before I leave to inform the others. I wanted to see the place again in this life.”

“I’m sure we’ll have a chance to reminisce in there together soon too. Just the two of us.”

A soft smile from the Guildmaster as she turned to go.

“Looking forward to it. Take care you too.”

Luciane gave a brief wave and walked back towards the door and out into the hallway. After listening to her footfalls echo for a moment in the vast nature of the Capitol building’s large interior, Hades spoke again.

“ _Even now, I am reminded once more of how I must share you with many others in this modern age, friends and lovers both, and how that does not trouble me as much as I had first expected it to_.”

“Oh?”

“ _We both committed to an open relationship long before all of this occurred, even before we became married. I knew of Persephone’s talents for making bonds with others, and her free spirit that ached and strained at the walls of conformity and contentment in Amaurot. It was part of why she was so well suited to become Azem, and I see much of that same talent and passion in you, my dear._ ”

He placed one of his clawed gloved hands into her own, holding them firmly.

“ _And this holiday… seems like the perfect time for you to express your love for all of them, not just for me. And yet, you seem so much more predisposed towards time with me_.”

Sarah knew immediately how to respond, lifting herself up now and shifting fully forward in the chair to face him more directly.

“You… deserve it the most of all of them right now. You went the longest without me, in the sense that you were consciously aware of the absence for the longest. You remembered me when everyone else forgot.”

She placed her right hand on his cheek.

“And you were… and are, my husband Hades. That has to count for something too. Even with how much I care about Luciane and have come to care about the others, old and new, you’re something special. The brightest star in my sky. That will never not be true.”

He placed his right hand on her cheek. He was glad for her words, to assuage his worries and lingering possessiveness. It was still difficult for him at times to see her in the embrace of others. It was easiest with Luciane, who had come to be something of a mutual affection of late.

To have Sarah with him now, though, softened his heart to such anxieties and gave him the chance to speak his mind more fully.

“ _Sarah, you’ve given them a great deal as it is, and given me a great deal as well besides. I think perhaps it might be high time for us to give you a good time and treat you special for once_.”

“Nonsense! I don’t need anything like all that.”

“ _All the more reason for it to be so. The hero deserves a chance to rest and reflect in the company of those dearest to her, after so long spent nodding and running to and fro for all and sundry_.”

“I… cannot completely argue with that. I do enjoy helping people over being helped, by and large.”

“ _And for this moment, I would insist you let us, let me, help you relax and remember yourself and what you hold dear to you. All of this, these people and these things about them that make them special… these are things you would do well to remember and keep close through all the hardships yet to come_.”

She nodded solemnly, remembering too now the darkening situation on the Source, far from where they were presently stuck.

He rose her face from where it had dropped with a clawed finger to her chin. His eyes brought her back to the present, disarming her from that brief moment of sadness and worry.

“ _Whoever this Valentione individual might have been, I suspect they would say the same. That part of love is not just selfish desire, but selfless reciprocity and giving of oneself, of one’s own heart, without reservations or expectations. I would be a poor son of Amaurot indeed were I not to indulge the latter from time to time. And for you, my dearest heart? I would do and give anything… just to see you smile_.”

A smile she now gave him as she closed in and kissed him again, almost reflexively reacting. His eyes and smiling visage, and these words… they never failed to dig past her own lingering doubts and anxieties, over life and the future and her relationships, and reach her heart to comfort her.

She could even feel the now increasingly familiar embrace of his aether, that shroud closing around her and lighting up her soul.

“Gods… you really are a romantic, once one has the temerity to peel back all those layers of masks, aren’t you Hades?”

“ _As it was with you in the past. I suppose it will be so again now, as you seek to find all the parts of me you once knew so well_.”

“I guess I will need all that starlight after all, to pierce these veils… And a little Valentione charm…”

Another kiss. She intermingled her fingers with the back of his head, into the hair, and attempted to mimic the petting motion he had done with her earlier and now was doing again.

He huffed a laugh from within their kiss, and snapped his fingers.

“ _Happy Valentione’s Day, albeit a bit early. Have a little preamble, hero_.”

A heart shaped box, full of chocolates of different kinds, sat atop his desk next to the two letters from earlier. She stole her gaze from his golden eyes long enough to grin in their direction and hold her hand out to grab one, before his own hand held her back.

“ _Ah ah… not so fast. What are the magic words, Sarah_?”

She sighed.

“Thank you. Happy Valentione’s Day to you too, Hades. May I please have some of your lovely, well-crafted chocolate confections?”

He smirked at her.

“ _May you? That depends…_ ”

He leaned close and whispered up into her ear.

“ _I was wondering where my own gift to unwrap was..._ ”

Her face immediately turned into a furnace, bearing a sneering grin as she reached around him to grab one of the chocolates from the box and insert it into his mouth.

“Feed me these treats, dearest, and then we’ll see if you can find the gift I have hiding in my robes for you...”

It was beginning to look like Emet-Selch would be spending another late night in his office. And that suited him just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> As is the case with my formal series shipping Emet-Selch with my Warrior of Light (which this is a seasonal event extension of), I italicize Emet's speech here out of respect and admiration for him and to add definition to his words when he speaks in a scene. Just for clarification.
> 
> Guildmaster Luciane Corne is Sarah's other major ship, in among a somewhat ambiguous polyamorous relationship situation she has in modern times with multiple people, both NPCs and player characters. She is slowly starting to develop something of a relationship herself with Hades, but for the moment they both enjoy sharing any chance they have to make Sarah squirm and place her outside her comfort zone for her own sake. They share an understanding that the Warrior of Light needs to occasionally be reminded of her own needs, and in this they find occasion to bond over her, and their own shared interests.


End file.
